Zazzle Acquires Confego to Accelerate Next Generation in Product Customization

Friday, April 20, 2007

Press release from the issuing company

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 18 -- Zazzle, the Internet's Creativity Marketplace, today announced that it has acquired Confego, a San Francisco Bay Area company that empowers iconic global brands to offer fully customized apparel, bags and footwear designed from the ground up. Zazzle welcomes Confego co-founders Brennan Mulligan and David Gross to the Zazzle team effective immediately.
Confego, from the co-founder of Timbuk2, manages order fulfillment and shipping for large retailers such as Reebok, to offer customized versions of their products through the use of Confego's proprietary software. Through the acquisition, Zazzle will obtain this exclusive software, and will continue Confego's current relationship with Reebok's RBK Custom. As demonstrated by previous relationships with global brands Timberland and Nike, Confego brings expertise in the customization of the construction of products, including cut, color, fabric choice and custom embroidery.
"This relationship marks the beginning of a new generation of customization for Zazzle," said Robert Beaver, CEO and co-founder of Zazzle.com, Inc. "New brand partnerships mean new choices for our customers who are always looking for better means of self expression."
"The creativity of the Zazzle community is a perfect fit with our current offerings," said Brennan Mulligan, co-founder of Confego and Vice President at Zazzle. "Consumers have come to expect more for their money. The growing availability of fast, easy and affordable customization is empowering shoppers to get exactly what they want, without being force-fed what designers are offering."
As a pioneer in the field of customization, Mulligan will help Zazzle achieve limitless customization that provides consumers a unique finished product almost immediately and at an affordable price. Confego has perfected the manufacturing and fulfillment process, allowing delivery of custom shoes in just one week, as opposed to the three to five week lead time currently provided from similar vendors.